It was the last week of the third term, meaning Frazer wasn't with us in the music room... well physically. The awkward silence that came with me joining the guys without Frazer did not last long as we were only five minutes into the lunch break when my phone started ringing with a video call request.

After accepting it, the guys rushed around my phone to greet him, clearly already aware of who was calling me.

"It's the superstar!" Caleb jeered.

"The heartthrob," Kevin countered.

"How's Melbourne?" I asked.

"It's amazing here!" Frazer grinned, also ignoring the guys. "It's so busy and... full of life. And there's so much to do."

"Maybe you'll just have to move there when school is out," Kevin blurted next. "I hear it's one of the places to be if you want to start a music career."

Though while Frazer grinned at Kevin's gushing, Caleb hissed, "Oi... Think a little, would you?"

Kevin glanced my way, seeing the morose settling into my face as I shrunk away from their eagerness. "So, is that the studio behind you?" Kevin changed the topic.

"Yes," Frazer quipped before panning the camera around to show us. "Want a tour?"

"Of course we do!"

They went on for a while like that, Frazer showing the studio, the boys asking questions about the hardware, when Kevin and his big mouth blurted once more, "So when are you coming back? Assuming you're coming back that is."

"Do you... ever think?" Caleb hissed again.

The smile wavered from Frazer's face for a moment before he replied, "I'll be back at the end of the week."

"Just in time for the holidays. But then what? Are you staying until the end of school?"

"Mum insists I have to graduate, and my label is happy to work around that. Though..." he hesitated, eyes flickering towards me, "I will be missing the last week of next term too."

"Oh, what for?" Kevin exclaimed, clearly not sensing the shift in tone.

"I've been offered to open for Ruel."

"Seriously? That's amazing!"

Kevin's mouth opened to ask more, but Caleb cut him off with, "What about formal or grad?"

"... I'll be back for the graduation ceremony."

Meaning... no formal. I felt myself shrink even further away from the scene, even though I still held the phone. I knew everyone could see the disappointment clear as day on my face, but I was ignored. Frazer's new win took precedence.

"So this last holiday is going to be it then," Kevin concluded after Frazer finished narrating how he scored the opening gig.

"What do you mean?"

"Last time you're like... properly free when we are. Next is work or study, and you're only going to get busier."

"... I'll still find time for you guys."

"Maybe. But... I think we should do something. As a last hurrah, just in case it is a while until we can properly hang again?"

Caleb piped up this time, seeming excited about where the conversation was going. "Yeah! Maybe we can go on a camping trip together? Like we used to with our families back in the day."

"Yes! It will be just like old times," Kevin agreed.

Like old times... Before me.

The call went on for another ten minutes, the boys planning out their holiday adventure and me fading into the background as if I were a fly on the wall. Making it all the more worse for me was that Frazer was keen on it.

So not only did this call turn into a catch up with his mates, not only was I no longer going to get my Prince Charming moment with him at formal, but I wasn't going to even see him these holidays.

A part of you knew this was coming, a sympathetic voice in my mind tried to quell the twisting knot in my heart.

I know... I just thought I'd have more time.

◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷

It was past 8pm when my phone rang again, a video call request from Frazer lighting up my screen.

I stared at it, considering letting it ring out for the longest time. Because why continue to delay the inevitable?

I was already fading in importance to him.

And I couldn't even be mad. Because I started this when I drew the line between us with our whole 'let's not be public anymore' thing.

Nonetheless, I couldn't bring myself to rip off the bandaid yet, which was why I ended up pressing the green call icon at the last minute.

"About time!" he exclaimed, face filling my screen. His locks were wet, a towel draped over his shoulders, and his chest was bare.

"Where's your shirt?" I responded, wishing I could glance around him to see if anyone else was with him.

"I just got out of the shower," he replied.

"Do you have pants on at least?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at me. "Wouldn't you like to know..." Then he flashed the camera down, and, lo and behold, he had tracksuit pants on.

"Trackies yet no shirt? That makes no sense."

"It's cold in this hotel room."

"Then turn the aircon off."

"It doesn't turn off. Or if it does, I can't figure it out."

"Then call reception."

"... I'd rather not."

"Why?"

"The... um... people on right now are fans."

I deadpanned. "Well, if you're stuck with the aircon, shouldn't you put a shirt on?"

He grinned at me and cocked an eyebrow, "Oh, but I was hoping you'd think I look all sexy like this."

My face grimaced even further. "You shivering isn't sexy... besides, it's not like you have massive guns."

A hand went to his chest and he mocked being hit in the heart. "Ouch, Em. You're so cruel."

I couldn't help but smirk a little at his banter.

And it didn't go unnoticed. "There's the smile. I missed it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you do. And when are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"As I texted earlier, nothing is bothering me."

"Bullshit. Your texts have been short all day."

"I've been at school."

He paused, the grin falling from his face. "I thought we tell each other things, Em."

"Me too."

"What does that mean?"

"It's nothing."

"Please... can we just stop with the lies and jump to the part where you tell me what it is?"

"I'm not lying about anything."

"Fine. You're withholding something."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"What makes you sure?"

"Because, as I've said, you've been brief. And you said next to nothing during our call earlier today."

"Yeah, well, you said next to nothing to me..."

"The guys were there."

"You called me at school."

"When was I supposed to call?"

"I don't know, before school?"

"I was busy."

"Okay."

"Em."

"Frazer."

We both went quiet, no longer staring at the phones as we both clenched our jaws in this standoff we were having. "You could have... at least seemed happy for me getting the opening gig."

"I am happy for you."

"You're not showing it."

"I'm sorry, but it's a little hard to be when you're blowing me off for it."

"Blowing you off?"

"... it's nothing."

"How is it—"

"I mean, you should have at least... told me alone instead of in front of everyone that we weren't going to formal together."

His mouth opened to retort, but it just as quickly closed. Then he seemed to think through his next words as his eyes studied me through the screen. "I thought you wouldn't care."

"Seriously?"

"It's not like we can go together. We're not dating publicly anymore."

"You still could have said you were taking me as a friend."

"... how was I going to see you dressed to the nines and pretend like I wasn't infatuated by you?"

"... you make me sound like I'm some princess or supermodel, or something."

"You're the most beautiful person in the world to me."

"... that's nonsense."

"I don't tell you what you get to think and feel, just as you don't get to tell me. It's the truth, and it's how I feel."

"... okay... well... A heads up still would have been nice, even if it's impossible."

"I'm sorry. You're right."

"And now I won't even get to see you on the holidays... I'm scared you're slipping away from me."

"... I'm not going anywhere, Em."

My eyes were burning now as tears threatened to spill out, so I pretended to be fascinated by something else in the room as I tried to breathe through the lump forming in my throat.

"And what do you mean you won't see me on the holidays?"

I shook my head, still trying to fight back the sobs desperate to break through.

But he pushed. "Em, please talk to me. The only way we can overcome this miscommunication is if—"

"You're going on that stupid camping trip with the guys!" I all but shouted.

He hesitated. "You're coming too though, right?"

"... I wasn't invited."

"Is that what they said?"

"I was very clearly excluded from that conversation you all had in front of me."

"I don't think... I'll talk to them. You're coming, okay? I want you there."

"No. Don't... I'll just ruin your 'bros trip'... or whatever."

"If you're not coming, then I'm not going."

"Can you just stop being dramatic?"

"Can you stop pushing me away every time things get slightly difficult for us? Work with me, Em. Not against me. I... The guys like you. They won't care if you come along. But I will care very much if you're not there. As they said, it's our last time we're definitely all free at the same time. There's no one I'd rather spend that time with than you, so if it does bother them, then you and I can just go on our own getaway instead."

I barked a laugh. "Where? You'll have fans all over you."

"We will just go camping elsewhere."

"Sure..."

"I'll sort this, okay? Just... take a deep breath. I'm sorry that me not being there is worrying y—"

"I'm fine. I don't know why you think—"

"Well, it's great that you're fine. But I miss you terribly, and I worry a lot about whether you're forgetting me."

I rolled my eyes and wiped the wetness from my face now that the tears had stopped flowing. "How can I forget you when you're everywhere?"

The cheeky grin I knew so well and adored was back. "There's one positive to being famous."

"What? That I see you—"

"My girlfriend is always thinking of me because she can't avoid news of me."

I shook my head. "I'd be thinking of you anyway."

"That's what I like to hear... I can't stop thinking about you either... I wish I could kiss you right now."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm."

"... what else would you do if you were here?"

He laid down on his bed, a wicked gleam stealing his gaze.

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